c Refuge in the Rockies 




Dedicated to the Pioneer Mothers 
of Salida and Chaffee County. 



BY 

MRS. HATTIE C. SHONYO 

SALIDA, COLORADO 



COPY-RIGHT APPLIED FOR 
1905 



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CREATION. 



Bre His kingdom He created, 
In the long-forgotten ages — 
In the wondrous realm of heaven, 
God was speaking to his angels, 
Who the mighty throne surrounded, 
Speaking thus unto his angels: 
"We will make a lovely country 
With a glorious wealth of sunshine; 
Make a stream of running water, 
Pure, salubrious and refreshing; 
Make a lake, and round its edges; 
Make a chain of grandest mountains, 
Underlaid with precious minerals. 
Near it make a fierce volcano, 
Which shall cause the earth to tremble, 
Which shall send forth fire and ashes. 
Near it make a spring eternal, 
Which shall feed the lake unceasing 
With a flow of heated w r ater." 
So then spoke the Great Almighty, 
So then spoke the Great Creator. 
His word was law, and ever shall be. 
And his kingdom was created. 



TRANSITION. 



^| ime rolled on. From out the northward 
^■^Came the pure, cool stream, salubrious. 
Came and brought its waters, wandering- 
Over rocks and sands and pebbles, 
To the broad lake, which received it. 
Many years the running water, 
From the hot spring came unceasing, 
Poured into the lake its limpid, 
Langourously laughing liquid. 
At the farther end the outlet. 
Checked by a wall of solid granite, 
Formed a rushing, roaring cataract — 
Formed a cataract like Niagara, 
Which, upon the rock formation. 
Wore away into a canon. 
As the stream flowed toward the ocean. 

As the lake lay blue and placid, 
As the sky was there reflected, 
As the sunlight on its surface, 
Riprjled as it oft had rippled — 
Came a breath from the volcano. 
That for long had slept and rested. 



Had not thrown out fire and ashes, 

Had not caused the earth to tremble; 

Now it shook, and heaved, and trembled, 

Threw the" beds of precious minerals 

Into leads and shapes fantastic; 

Some were thrown upon the surface, 

Some were sprinkled in the river, 

Some beneath the ground lay hidden. 

And the solid wall of granite, 

That had formed the mighty cataract 

Fell, and smote the earth in falling — 

Fell, and straightway all the water 

From the lake came with a rushing, 

With a speed and a commotion 

That exceeded the volcano 

In its pow T er and force of action. 

Thus un gorged, the rushing water 

Plowed a furrow deep and mighty, 

Formed a deep dark dreary canon 

As it made its journey outward. 

Thus the lake was drained and emptied. 

In its stead a beauteous valley, 

By the mountain chain surrounded, 

Lay, and in the glorious sunshine, 



Soon its verdure grew and flourished, 
Watered by the crystal river — 
From the hot spring yet replenished — 
And a rift made near its center, 
Poured out water, warm and wholesome. 
And the bellowing volcano, 
In a long and deadly silence, 
Lay asleep within its crater. 




OCCUPATION. 



r J 1^* riven from his father's acres, 
/^W' Came the red man to the valley, 
Came the Indian with his arrows, 
Here to hunt the deer and bison, 
Here to hunt the bear and beaver, 
For the flesh he used for eating 
And the skins he used for clothing. 




Here he pitched his homely wigwam, 
Brought his squaw and young papooses, 
Brought his white-eyed mustang ponies; 
Here they spent the golden summers— 
But when came the snows of winter, 
As the wily birds fly southward, 
Farther southward went the Indian, 
To the pale-face sold his titles 
To the lands within the valley, 
All his rights, and left it vacant 
For the white man's occupation. 



For the white man bent on hunting, — 
Bent on hunting dear and beavers, 
Bent on hunting bear and bison; 
For the white man bent on mining — 
For along the crystal river, 
On its banks, and on its bottom, 
Strewn there by the great volcano, 
When it sent forth fire and ashes, 
When it belched forth molten minerals- 
Lay the shining golden nuggets — 
More attractive than the lodestone 
More effective than a magnet — 
Gold, that to the white man ever 
Has so glittered, shone, and beckoned, 
As to lead him ever onward 
On his western quest for empire. 
Since this new world was discovered 
By the venturesome Columbus, 
By the brave and bold Italian 
Sailing under Spanish colors. 
Beckoned to Hernando Cortez, 
Beckoned to the great Espejo, 
To the fearless Coronado, 
As he led his bold explorers 
From the conquered southern city 



To a region to the northward, 
Where, beholding a red sunset, 
He the region called — Colorado. 
So the white man bent on mining, 
Bent on seeking golden nuggets, 
Came, and found the climate healthful- 
Found the river fit for placers, 
With its banks of sand and gravel. 
Found the mountain sides were covered 
With a grand primeval forest, 
Trees of spruce and pine and pin on, 
Fit for use as logs and fuel, 
Fit for making into lumber. 
Found the hillsides and the mesas 
Covered with a wealth of grasses, 
Fit for feeding herds of cattle. 
Found the soil was fit for farming, 
Found the water in the rivers 
Could be used for irrigation, 
As the Babylonian rulers 
Used the waters of the Tigris, 
Of the Nile and the Euphrates. 
So their waters he diverted 
To reclaim the arid region 
And to make the land productive. 



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CO-OPERATION. 



jTn these words a gifted poet 
■I' In the thoughts of Hiawatha 
This has said and none more truly — 
"As unto the bow the cord is, 
So unto the man is woman 
Though she bends him, she obeys him 
Though she draws him, yet she follows. 
Useless each without the other." 
And a man who ventured thither 
Leaving wife and home behind him 
Soon w r as followed by the woman- 
Wife of days when peace and plenty 
Had not suffered wear's advances— 
Who, as o'er the hills she wandered 
With all nature holding commune 
Found a lead of precious mineral, 
Found of copper a deposit, 
Which all copper mines surpasses. 
In the state of Colorado — 
Found and named it, the "Sedalia." 



CIVILIZATION. 



Hnd the people from the lowlands 
Came, and through the darksome canon. 
Where the turbulent stream is flowing. 
Brought the world's great civilizer — 
Iron horse and gilded carriage. 
And its arteries of iron, 
Which to farthest countries carries 
Hope, ambition, emulation, — 
Carried to the minds of many. 
Dwelling in the far-off regions, 
Stories of this great discovery— 
Who, when once their eyes were opened, 
Set their faces toward the valley, 
Where the lake once lay and glistened. 
And they came and built a city 
And they called its name Salida., 
Meaning "opening" in the mountains, 
Such as sun and air may enter — 
Enter there and purify it. 
While the mountains still protect it 
From the blizzard and the cyclone, 
From the storms that o'er the lowlands 
Sweep, and bring death and destruction. 



SALIDA 1905 



CONTEMPLATION. 



VH^ining in the sand and gravel, 
•*> II */In the bottom of the river, 
Where the placer was established 
Long ago has been abandoned. 
But beneath the chain of mountains, 
'Neath the limestone and the marble, 
Which were laid as its foundations, 
Lies the wealth of buried treasure, 
Lies the wealth of precious minerals 
Wealth of zinc and lead and iron — 
Wealth of copper, gold and silver — 
Such as Spaniard never dreamed of 
In his wildest speculations. 
Waiting 'til some bold prospector, 
Coming with his pick and shovel, 
Finds the lead upon the surface, 
Digs, and all the wealth uncovers. 
Some there are who have uncovered, 
In the mountains to the westward, 
Paying veins of lead and silver, 
Named them '"Monarch" and "Madonna" 
And the "Farrell" and the "Lilly." 
And the mountains to the northeast 



Many years have been producing 
From the "Calumet" the iron. 
Near the mining town of Turret — 
Nestling there among the mountains, 
Have been found the gold-producers, 
"Vivandiere," "Gold Bug" and "Jasper." 
And these mines of precious products 
Every day send to the smelter — 
Which beside the crystal river, 
Near the city of Salida, 
Recently has been established — 
Cars of ore of such a value 
As will make their owners wealthy. 



On the lands that are not fertile, 
Are not reached by irrigation, 
Not by water made productive, 
Grows, amid the sand and ashes, 
Thrown there in the tima far distant 
By the bellowing volcano — 
Grows a plant called "Picradenia." 
Which by actual experiment, 
Has been found to furnish rubber. 
Which, when properly extracted, 
Equals the East Indian product, 
Can be put to all its uses. 



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THE SMELTER 




PICRADFNIA" OR TME RLBBER VVECD. 



And the fields around the city — 

Where the mountain flowers once flourished, 

Where once grew the grass and cactus, 

Prickly-pear, sage-brush and soap-weed — 

Made productive by the farmer 

With his plow and team of horses. 

With his seeder and his harrow, 

With his spade and boots of rubber, 

With his dams made in the ditches 

Coming from the streams and rivers, 

Where the rainbow trout are flashing,. 

Yield of hay a crop prodigious 

Which in winter feeds his cattle, 

Yields a crop of products varied- - 

Wheat and oats, j)eas and potatoes, 

And alfalfa, king of clovers. 

And the orchard trees he planted 

Which were said to be a failure, 

In the early days and distant, 

Grew, and to him now are yielding: 

Pears and cherries, plums and apples 

With no worm to sting or gnaw them. 

For the singing birds are many 

That alight among their branches, — 

Wren and robin, finch and bluebird — 



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And the bees go round them, droning. 
Gathering in their store of honey. 
And his dwelling shows improvement 
Since the days of logs and adobe, 
For the lumber, brick and concrete 
All are made to him convenient. 
And the rose, snow-ball and lilac. 
With their bloom, his lawns embellish: 
And his home is made more pleasant, 
More alluring and attractive 
To his wife and sons and daughters. 
And the farmer when you see him 
Wears a smile of satisfaction; 
For he is always well and happy; 
And he too is getting wealthy. 
And he too is proud of living 
In a state, where agriculture 
At the World's Great Exposition 
Won so many golden medals, — 
In the state of Colorado 
Near the city of Salida. 

And the D. & R. G. Railway. 
Road of many scenic wonders — 
Road of marvelous engineering. 



♦" ■ ■ — ■ 

Which in eighteen hundred eighty 

Made its depot in a box-car 

Setjon fifty feet of siding. 

Now has sidings, shops and round-house 

Valued at a quarter million, 

And an average monthly pay-roll 

Of seventy-five thousand dollars. 






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While a constant flow of traffic 
And an endless chain of travel 
Passes daily through the city. 
And the ranks of summer tourists, 
And the ranks of winter travelers. 
Seeking, health, rest or amusement, 
Traveling through the darksome canon. 
Royal Gorge — where once the cataract 
Poured its flood of rushing water — 
Spanned with iron bridge as marvelous 
As the hand of man e'er fashioned- — 
Come and rest them in the city. 
Stay long after they have rested. 




THE ROYAL GORGE 



Five and twenty years the city 
Has been growing by the river — 
' Arkansas" the Indians called it. 
And her growth has been a wonder, 
Covering now seven hundred acres; 
And she has so grown and prospered, 
So increased in population, 
One who took a recent census 
Places it at seven thousand. 
And her voters, men and women 
Number twenty-seven hundred, 
And these enterprising people 
Pave her streets from beds of lava ; 
With majestic trees adorn them, 
In dry weather keep them sprinkled, 
And of cement make her sidewalks. 
Have two parks, and a band concert 
Every evening in the summer. 
Have a library supported 
By a club of worthy women. 
Have a board of trade comprising 
All the most progressive citizens. 
Have hotel accomodations ' 
And efficient livery service. 



Have two hospitals, attended 

By a corps of able surgeons, 

Unsuspassed in Colorado. 

Have three newspapers, and have churches 

For each of seven denominations. 

Have a public school attended 

By a thousand little children. 

Have an excellent fire department, 

Have a model water system,. 

Have a telephone connection 

With ail neighboring cities. 

Have arc lights in streets and all* 

Frouf'their own electric power-house. 

It is said the coming summer 

A street railway is projected — 

Running east as far as Wells ville 

With its water warm and wholesome. 

Running west a^ far as Poncha, 

Where the hot spring still is bubbling. 

Bringing joy and health to hundreds. 




INVITATION. 



•jE^ere she sits and to the workers, 

n+J Bent on every avocation, 
To the tourist and the traveler, 
Bent on having a vacation, 
To the sick and to the weary 
Sends this cordial invitation — 
"Come and help improve our city, 
Come and visit pleasant places 
In the mountains that surround it. 
Come and feel the charm of living 
At an altitude of seven thousand. 
Come, enjoy the healthful climate, 
Come, enjoy the golden summers 
And the mild and pleasant winters. 
And the cooling streams of water. 
Come and fish for sparkling rainbows. 
Come and hunt for grouse and rabbit. 
Or for bears and mountain lions. 
Come, and in the spring eternal, 
Bathe and find your health returning. 
Drink the water, like no other. 
Come and find your work among us. 
Come and build your home among us, 
Come, and we will join hands together 
Come and we will all be happy."' 




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